Any1 ever have a puffer in a reef?

BlueWater · 10-12-2001, 01:54 AM

[color=blue] Well, I posted this in another BB, but I wanted to get as many
opinions as possible, before I decide to go back and get him.
Please post if you've had "personal" bad experiences.
Here's the post...
__________________________________________
My friend's buddy moved, and he had some fish
he needed to get rid of. So I grabbed his
smallest one, which was a 1 inch Puffer Fish.
The thing was great. I had him in there for
2 weeks before I read about them and how they
can destroy a tank. This fish didn't touch
anything in the tank during the duration of
his stay. But it was great to watch. Just
ate brine, krill and fishflakes. Has anyone
had luck keeping one in a reef?
Thnx
____________________
Im gonna miss this guy

GaryG · 10-12-2001, 09:17 AM

I have had a porcupine puffer in my reef tank for 6 months now. He has not touched a thing. He is like a little puppy dog. He comes to the surface and let's my wife scratch his back. (It's her fish). He knows the difference between us. She scratches him and I feed him. He shows totally different behavior depending on which one of us approaches the tank. It's pretty cool!

JDVC · 10-12-2001, 10:54 AM

Is that a green-spotted puffer? I thought those were fresh.. well brackish-water?

-John

dbman · 10-12-2001, 01:08 PM

I believe that is the case, but brackish fish can be adjusted to full saltwater very easily; it's actually closer to their natural environment than trying to keep them in a FW tank with a couple tablespoons of salt (like my LFS suggests). I've seen lots of Monos and Scats in SW tanks doing very well.

vulkum · 10-12-2001, 01:15 PM

that is a common spotted puffer i used to keep a few with my african cichlids. they are mellow towards other fish as long as they are kept well fed, but they can have a tendancy to pester something that interests them and since they have teeth they can do damage, i had a common pleco that had plenty of scares on his back from the largest of the 3 i kept. these are typically a brackish water fish and do best in those conditions but i kept the puffers for awhile in my first reef tank after getting rid of the africans and they did ok. but i personally would not keep this fish in a fully stocked reef especially with any shrimp or small crabs or small fish for that matter!
aaron

GaryG · 10-12-2001, 03:43 PM

I guess I have to amend my previous relpy now that someone mentioned shrimp.

I did put in a Coral Banded Shrimp once and "puffy" played with him for about 1/2 an hour and then ate him. It was a $14.95 meal!

I meant he has never touched a coral.

MontanaRocknReefer · 10-12-2001, 04:36 PM

Hi!! I have a sharpnosed puffer in my 80 gallon reef tank for a couple of months now and and have about 4 corals and 2 peppermint shrimp which it has not bothered yet!
I am sure if it gets the chance the shrimp could be in trouble! I think they are really neat fish and have no plans on getting rid of my puffer! Johnny

BlueWater · 10-12-2001, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by GaryG
I guess I have to amend my previous relpy now that someone mentioned shrimp.

I did put in a Coral Banded Shrimp once and "puffy" played with him for about 1/2 an hour and then ate him. It was a $14.95 meal!

I meant he has never touched a coral.

Man... I guess this is a 50/50. Are there any other fish which are
cool like this? Meaning fish which just kinda' hover around? I think
my Royal Gramma was a waste since it never pops out.

MontanaRocknReefer · 10-13-2001, 12:10 AM

Hi bluewater!! Sorry to hear about your royal grammas not coming out as often as you like. I had a royal grammas in my 80 gallon reef and it was always out and moving about. They do have a neat personality.
Another fish that hovers is an mandarin fish but you need at least a 75 gallon with 100 gallon being better and having a refugium to raise bugs to keep this fish well fed or it will slowly die of starvation. Others will have other suggestions as well. Johnny

vulkum · 10-13-2001, 01:04 AM

you could try to read up and see if any box fish are reef sake they are very kewl looking and hover. my wife likes the cow fish ,looks like it has no tail and little horns. good luck

fishinchick · 10-13-2001, 01:29 AM

You have a green spotted puffer there, they are brackish to salt water fish. They will live for a little while in fresh water, which is how you usually purchase them in the store, they do not last in fresh water for very long. I have two that I have had in my reef tank for a while. They are non-invasive and just putter around hoping you will feed them soon. They are piggys and will forever be starving TO DEATH!!

They have yet to graze on anything that would make me feel they were not reef tank candidates. They only get to be about 4" in size by the way. You can find info about them anywhere.

If they are fresh or brackish water puffers, adjust them over a couple of months for salt water.

If you have any questions about them, please feel free to message me. I can probably answer any other questions you have about them.

BlueWater · 10-13-2001, 06:01 AM

Wow, I've gotten more responces here than the other forums.
This is cool. I am definitely not getting a mandarin. I'll need a
1 year old 75 gallon tank to feed it. I was condidering a cow fish,
but those things get pretty **** ugly when they get older hehe.

Well, Im going back tomorrow to adopt him, and
see how he does. I'm taking a risk of him picking at my cleaner
crew of hermits and my turbo snail. But the snail is bigger than
the puffer. I wanted a fish that won't get too big. Since he's
already been in my tank before and didn't bother anything, I think
he might be alright.

Welp, off to get the little guy again! He's still in the tank!

p.s. I have a bunch of other pics too of my tank if ya'll wanna see.
Also pics of my Turtle Tank :spook:

Thnx all

Demogarr · 10-13-2001, 05:25 PM

What kind of turtles do you have? I had an alligator snapping turtle for 4 years from hatchling. I released it into my grandparents pond last year. They occur naturally here in Arkansas, but are protected so I got it at a breeder in Missouri.

BlueWater · 10-13-2001, 07:28 PM

Ive got a Red Eared Slider.
Was going to get a Pennisula Cooter and a Yellowbelly, but my
RES is growing 1/3 inch a month. I don't think I'll be able to put
more than 2 turtles in my 52 gallon. His picz are here
www.xtreme-x.com/spartacus_01.html

I'll have my reef page up soon as well.
Alligtaor snappers are too huge and mean for me hehe.
Great looking Turts though

Cheers

fishinchick · 10-14-2001, 12:01 AM

my puffers never touched my polyps, feather dusters, snails or even shrimp. They have been in the tank with both cleaner shrimp (and got regular servicing from them) or peppermint shrimp (he may as well be a rock for all the attention they give the peppermint). Never messed with the snails either.

NOW the starfish...... when I had a brackish tank I had a fake starfish that stuck on the side of the tank with suction cups. The bigger puffer made a game of swimming in circles around the starfish and would be really upset when he accidentally knocked it off the wall.

I recently put my chocolate chip star in with them in the FOWLR tank and they are really confused and stop their game of swimming in circles around the starfish in confusion as to why it keeps moving. Very funny stuff.